August 10

Cheap and Easy Ways to Diffuse Your Lights

sunset picture dramatic lighting

Lighting is one of the most critical components for a quality video image.  So many people focus on what kind of camera they are going to use but often do not consider how much lighting contributes to the quality of their image.  I promise that an SD video camera with awesome lighting will produce a better shot than an HD camera with poor lighting.

Yes, lighting is that important.

You probably know by now that there are two basic types of light:

  • Direct
  • Diffused

Diffused light is bounced light.  It’s soft, and any shadows created will have fuzzy edges.   Light can be so diffused as to be completely without shadows.

Direct light is harsh and creates shadows with distinct lines.

Generally speaking, diffused light is what you want when shooting video, especially if you are doing face shots.  Now please realize what a broad statement that is.  Direct light can create wonderful images and can be used to excellent effect.  It’s just that diffused light is often preferable.

light kit for video productionHOW DO YOU GET DIFFUSED LIGHT?

Inside, diffused light can be obtained any one of several ways.

The umbrellas and soft boxes that are part of any video production light kit are specifically designed to diffuse light.

You can also get professional diffusion gels and cloths.  These methods provide varying levels of diffusion.

If you do not have any of these professional tools, simply bounce your light off something reflective.  The ceiling or a wall can work nicely.

Pointing a bright, direct light toward a white ceiling will bounce off a soft, diffused light, which is more flattering to the face.

A white poster board makes a good reflector for about a buck.

Mirrors reflect too much and don’t actually diffuse the light much at all. A mirror provides more of a direct bounce.  Sometimes this can be used to good effect but generally, reflecting your light off a mirror won’t give you what you need.

Here is a video tutorial on lighting that shows you what an amazing difference one simple sheet of diffusion paper makes.


Tags

how to light video production, Lighting for Video, lighting tips for video


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  1. Thanks Gary!

    Glad if you like the article on lighting. Video production and lighting, etc., etc., are such fun things for me to share. I appreciate your taking the time to leave a nice comment!

    Here’s to making your own videos!

    Lorraine

  2. I agree, the most obvious thing to do is to point the light towards a wall or ceiling and you’ll get soft light without any effort. But if you want a more pleasing effect, try different types of gels on a frame and place the frame on a c-stand at some distance from the light. The further the diffusion frame is, the more diffused the light will be and will give you a very cool wrap around soft light effect.

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